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Regulatory document · Reserve Bank of India

Swap Facility for External Commercial Borrowings and Overseas Foreign Currency Borrowings

UR

The four dates on this rule

This rulebook is short, and the page is short with it. This document is 1240 words long. It states 12 separate rules. So the page carries 12 points, not the thirty a long rulebook carries. Nothing has been left out to make it shorter.

At a glanceThe Reserve Bank of India will offer the swap facility only in United States dollars. The swap facility starts from this circular date and stays open till January 15, 2027.

Official RBI page

Numbers to remember

five yearsSwap maturity must match the loan repayment schedule but cannot be for more than five years.
1.5 percentThe swap will be priced at a fixed annual rate of 1.5 percent, compounded every six months.
January 15, 2027The swap facility starts from this circular date and stays open till January 15, 2027.
February 09, 2026External commercial borrowing terms will continue as per the February 09, 2026 borrowing and lending regulations.

What it says

Must know

1. maximum swap tenor

Swap maturity must match the loan repayment schedule but cannot be for more than five years.

2. swap pricing

The swap will be priced at a fixed annual rate of 1.5 percent, compounded every six months.

3. effective period

The swap facility starts from this circular date and stays open till January 15, 2027.

4. ecb terms unchanged

External commercial borrowing terms will continue as per the February 09, 2026 borrowing and lending regulations.

Do it

1. minimum swap size

Banks must do swaps in blocks of 1 million United States dollars.

2. reverse leg payment

At maturity, banks must repay rupees plus swap premium to get back the dollars.

Background

1. swap only in usd

The Reserve Bank of India will offer the swap facility only in United States dollars.

2. daily operation

The swap facility will run every working day in Mumbai, except Saturdays and holidays.

3. weekly swap limit

Each bank's weekly swap limit equals its eligible external and overseas borrowing inflows during earlier weeks, in dollar terms.

4. first leg rate

In the first leg, the bank will sell dollars to the Reserve Bank of India at the FBIL Reference Rate.

5. spot settlement

The first leg of the swap will be settled on a spot basis.

6. no isda needed

Banks do not need to sign any International Swaps and Derivatives Association agreement with the Reserve Bank of India.

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